Loose hay wagon

ABSTRACT

A stack is formed by blowing a crop into the body of a vehicle as it is advanced across the field and by periodically lowering the roof of the body against the crop to compress it into a compact condition, the outlet of the blower being constantly swung back and forth to distribute the crop evenly across the body, and having a shiftable deflector for distributing the hay throughout the body in a fore and aft direction.

United" States Patent 72 lnventor [56] References Cited gf g Kans-UNITED STATES PATENTS [21] P 2,767,963 /1956 Ringen et a1 214/520 [22]Filed Apr. 14, 1969 1 2,941,843 6/1960 Crump 302/56 Patented Jan. 19,1971 [73] Assignee Mon Corporation 3,195,746 7/1965 Heubach. 214/8328HesstonKans. 3,215,291 11/1965 Nickla 214/83.28X

a corporation of Kansas Primary Examiner-Albert J. MakayAttorney-Schmidt, Johnson, Hovey, Williams and Chase [54] LOOSE HAYWAGON ABSTRACT: A stack is formed by blowing a crop into the 9 Claims 12Draw Figs body of a vehicle as it is advanced across the field and by[52] US. Cl 214/522, periodically lowering the roof of the body againstthe crop to 1 56/24: 214/510, 214/82 302/56 compress it into a compactcondition, the outlet of the blower [51] Int. Cl. 860p 1/60 beingconstantly swung back and forth to distribute the crop Field of Search.J. 214/519 evenly across the body, and having a shiftable deflector for-522, 83.28, 82,501,510; 302/56; 56/24, 350, distributing the haythroughout the body in a fore and aft 35 1 direction.

1 I 124 I! I I1.

I I "11 50 "a V I 1 T 198 74 74 '11, 28 i 34 i 32 I 111111: 111111111...,1 -ul -l I H8: 3 40 H6 I I 9 1 a4 14- l| 1 8 g r 72 as 72 l HaroldKeith Garrison PATENTEU JAN 1 9 i9" 3,555 327 sum 1 or 3 n I n A I I 1WH 36 W 60 66 j 'Hlll F Fig.1.

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l8 8 INVENTOR Harold Keifh Garrison ATTORTIIEYS.

PATENTEU JAN 1 9 l9?! SHEET 2 [1F 3 INVENTOR Harold Keifh Ga r'r'isonATTORNEYS.

PATENTEU JAN 1 9 |97l SHEEI 3 BF 3 mvsmon Harold Keith Garrison M W,M01454 ATTORNEYS.

LOOSE IIAY WAGON An important object of the present invention is tostack hay and other crops in a wagon as it is towed or otherwiseadvanced across the field to. gather the crop, through use of a blowerwhich receives the crop from a pickup'and blasts it into the wagon, thenecessary compaction being accomplished by use of the roof which islowered from time to time against the crop in the wagon.

Another important object of my instant invention is to provide for evendistribution of the crop in the wagon by swinging a blower outlet tubelaterally of the. wagon throughout .the time the crop is being blownthereinto;

Still another important object of the instant invention is to assureeven distribution of the crop longitudinally of the wagon by use of aswingable deflector hood at the discharge end of the constantly swingingblower tube.

In the drawings: 1 v

FIG. I is a side elevational view of a loose hay wagon made according tomy present invention and capable of carrying out the steps of my novelmethod;

FIG. 2 is a view showing the opposite side of the wagon,

parts being broken away for cleamess, with the roof illustrated in itslowered position;

FIG. 3 is a view similarto FIG. 1, butshowing the wagon in its unloadingposition; I

FIG. 4 is a front view ofthewagon;

FIG. 5 is a rear view thereof;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, vertical cross-sectionalview illus- FIG. is afragmentary, horizontal cross sectional view of i the blower and itsmount;

receives a vertically reciprocable, C -shaped slide 74 (FIG. 8) throughwhich the inner stretch of chain 60 extends, each chain 60 beingconnected to its slide 74 and to a vertical strip 76 (joined to acorresponding stud 56) by a clamp 78, the strips 76 being engageablewith stops 80 adjacent bed within body 16 to limit the extent of descentof press 42. Clamps 78 engage stops 82 within body 16 adjacent takeupmeans 68 to limit the extend of ascent of press 42.

A blower 84, carried by frame 22 forwardly of body 16, has a housing 86for fan 88, housing 86 being provided with a sleeve 90 (FIG. 10)extending fore and aft of vehicle 14 and late the housing 86 and itsdischarge tube -1 10 about the axis of shaft 94 during rotation of fan88, as shown by arrows 112 in FIG. 4.

Tube 1 10 has an upper section 114 and a lower section 116 connected byhinge 118, permitting theswinging of section 114 forwardly anddownwardly during over-the-road travel of vehicle 14 when press 42 islowered as shown in FIG. 2, the

, section 114 terminating in a curved outlet I20 normally FIG. 11 is afragmentary cross-sectional view taken at right and adapted foradvancement across a field by a towing hitch I 20 at the front end of aframe 22, body 16 having a swinging connection 24 with the rear end offrame 22 to permit it to be tilted, as shown in FIG. 3, upon actuationof fluid piston and cylinder assemblies 26. Body 16 has sides 28, a bed30, a front end wall 32 and a rear end gate '34 which may be raisedasshown in FIG. 3 by parallel linkage 36 supporting gate 34 on each ofthe sides 28, each such linkage 36 being in turn provided with a fluidpiston and cylinder assembly 38 for actuating the same after release oflatches 40 (FIGS. 2 and 3).

A press 42 carried by the body 16 therewithin for vertical reciprocationhas a pitched roof 44, sides 46, a rear end 48 adjacent roof 44, anoutwardly swingable end gate 50 (FIG. 3) held in place by gate 34 whenpress 42 is raised (FIG. I) and a front end wall 52 extending upwardlyfrom end 32 when press 42 is raised, but spaced below ,the roof 44,presenting an inlet 54 to the body 16 (FIG.4). Sides 46 are fastened totapered studs 56 (FIG. 6) which terminate in triangular feet 58, atleast certain of the studs 56 being attached to continuous chains 60,preferably at least one at each of the four corners of body 16 (FIGS. 1and 2) and trained about sprocket wheels 62 and 64, driven by shafts 66(FIG. ,4) extending longitudinally of the body 16 exteriorly of sides 28adjacent bed 30 (FIGS. 1 and 2) held taut by adjustable takeup means 68(FIG. 7) and supported by bearings 70 on the sides 28.

The sides 28 of body 16 are provided with an upstanding, C- shaped guide72 for each chain 60 respectively which in turn bracket directed towardthe inlet 54 of press 42, A complementally curved deflector hood 122above section 114 has arms 124 (FIG. 12) rigid to a shaft 126 whichyisin turn supported by 128 beneath section 114, shaft 126 beingreciprocated by a fluid piston and cylinder assembly 130 coupled withits crank 132. I 7

Frame 22 carries a pickup unit 134 (FIGS. 1- -4) therebeneath forwardlyof the blower 84 which includes a drum rotatable about a horizontal axistransversely of the vehicle 14 and provided with foldable spring tines136, the unit being vertically adjustable and suspended by springs 138,all of which is conventional and well known. Unit 134 feeds the crop(preferably from a windrow) to an auger drum rotatable on frame 22 inparallelism with unit 134 above the latter and forwardly of housing 86.Drum 140 has leftand right-hand flighting 142 and 144 (FIG. 4) forfeeding the crop to retractable fingers 146 of drum 140 which, in turn,deliver the hay into housing 86 through inlet 96 into the path of theblades of fan 88.

A pusher bar 148 (FIGS. 6 and 9) used when the body is tilted as shownin FIG. 3, traverses the body 16 therewithin above the bed 30, the bar148 being secured to a pair of spaced, upstanding plates 150 each ofwhich is secured to a continuous chain 152 extending longitudinally ofthe bed 30. Each chain 152 is trained about spaced sprocket wheels 154that are rigid to transverse shafts 156 below the bed 30, one of suchshafts 156 being driven from a sprocket wheel 158 thereon.

In operation, the pickup unit 134, the auger drum 140 and the fan 88 arecontinuously operated, and at the same time, by virtue of rotation ofshaft 94, to rotate the shaft 98, crank 104 will oscillate the blower 84causing the crop to spread evenly across the body 16. The initial blastof the crop from the outlet 120 of the tube 110 through the inlet 96will be directed toward the gate 34 of body 16 and the end 48 and gate50 of press 42, by virtue of withdrawal of the deflector hood 122. Asthe crop builds up to the roof 44 at the rear of the body 16, theoperator of the tractor (not shown) which pulls the vehicle 14 willcause actuation of the assembly 130 to gradually project the hood 122rearwardly and downwardly toward the body 16 so as to cause the crop tocompletely fill body 16 as high as the fully elevated roof 44. Afterbuildup to the inlet 96, the forward advance of the vehicle 14 istemporarily discontinued while the operator lowers the press 42 bycausing actuation of the drive (not shown) for the shafts 66.

The studs 56 during their descent will slide easily, wedging themselvesbetween the crop in body 16 and the proximal sidewalls 28 as led bytheir feet 58 and, at the same time, the roof 44 will compress the croptightly against the bed 30, causing the crop to begin to take on theconfiguration of a compact stack conforming in shape with the transverseconfiguration of the body 16.

The loading operation is then resumed after raising the press 42,continuing to spread the crop evenly both fore and aft of the body 16and laterally thereof until no additional material can be effectivelyblasted through the inlet 96, whereupon the compression step isrepeated. After the last lowering of the press 42 it need not be againraised until the vehicle 14 has been towed to a desired unloading zone.The gate 34 is then raised and the body 16 tipped as shown in FIG. 3.The stack is then ejected from the body 16 through use of pusher bar 148as the vehicle 14 is pulled forwardly, leaving the stack deposited onthe ground or other support.

The resulting stack, in a highly compact condition, conforms in size andshape with the body 16 and is properly crowned so as to shed water byvirtue of the pitched nature of the roof 44. Virtually no hand labor isrequired and after unloading, the stack remains fully formed with littledanger of spoilage along the sides, ends or over the top of the stack.

I claim:

1. A harvesting machine including a vehicle adapted foradvancementacross a field having a crop thereon, said vehicle beingprovided with:

a crop receiving body;

a pickup for lifting the crop off the field as the vehicle is advanced;

apparatus disposed to receive the crop from the pickup and blow the sameinto said body;

means for spreading the crop evenly throughout the body as the crop isblown thereinto; and

a vertically reciprocal compressor mounted above the crop for compactingthe crop from time to time in the body as the crop builds up therein toproduce a stack conforming substantially in shape and size with thebody.

2. The invention of claim 1 .wherein said apparatus includes a rotaryfan having an upright outlet tube provided with a discharge disposed todirect the crop into the body.

3. The invention ofclaim 2 wherein said tube is mounted for oscillationand said spreading means includes mechanism coupled with the tube andresponsive to rotation of the fan for oscillating the tube. a

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said discharge is disposed to directthe crop into one end of the body and the tube oscillates about an axisdisposed in alignment with the path of travel of the vehicle.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein the fan rotates and the tubeoscillates about a common axis.

6. The invention of claim 2 wherein said discharge is disposed to directthe crop into one end of the body and is provided with a shiftabledeflector for controlling the loading of the crop fore and aft of thebody.v

7. The invention of claim I wherein said compressor comprises a top forsaid body that is carried by the body, the crop being blown into thebody beneath the top when the latter is raised.

8. The invention of claim 1 wherein said apparatus includes a rotary fanprovided with a housing having a crop inlet at the axis of rotation ofthe fan.

9. The invention of claim 8 wherein is provided means for receiving thecrop from the pickup and feeding the same into the housing through saidinlet.

1. A harvesting machine including a vehicle adapted for advancementacross a field having a crop thereon, said vehicle being provided with:a crop receiving body; a pickup for lifting the crop off the field asthe vehicle is advanced; apparatus disposed to receive the crop from thepickup and blow the same into said body; means for spreading the cropevenly throughout the body as the crop is blown thereinto; and avertically reciprocal compressor mounted above the crop for compactingthe crop from time to time in the body as the crop builds up therein toproduce a stack conforming substantially in shape and size with thebody.
 2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said apparatus includes arotary fan having an upright outlet tube provided with a dischargedisposed to direct the crop into the body.
 3. The invention of claim 2wherein said tube is mounted for oscillation and said spreading meansincludes mechanism coupled with the tube and responsive to rotation ofthe fan for oscillating the tube.
 4. The invention of claim 3 whereinsaid discharge is disposed to direct the crop into one end of the bodyand the tube oscillates about an axis disposed in alignment with thepath of travel of the vehicle.
 5. The invention of claim 4 wherein thefan rotates and the tube oscillates about a common axis.
 6. Theinvention of claim 2 wherein said discharge is disposed to direct thecRop into one end of the body and is provided with a shiftable deflectorfor controlling the loading of the crop fore and aft of the body.
 7. Theinvention of claim 1 wherein said compressor comprises a top for saidbody that is carried by the body, the crop being blown into the bodybeneath the top when the latter is raised.
 8. The invention of claim 1wherein said apparatus includes a rotary fan provided with a housinghaving a crop inlet at the axis of rotation of the fan.
 9. The inventionof claim 8 wherein is provided means for receiving the crop from thepickup and feeding the same into the housing through said inlet.